The Citadel to play Alabama in 2018

(STATS) - The Citadel will conclude its 2018 regular season with a first-ever meeting against Alabama.

The Citadel announced Tuesday that its 2015 co-Southern Conference champion Bulldogs will visit Bryant-Denny Stadium on Nov. 17, 2018. Alabama was the 2015 FBS national champion.

"This is a fantastic opportunity for our program," The Citadel first-year coach Brent Thompson said Tuesday. "These games are important for many reasons, and they allow us to provide our cadet-athletes with once-in-a-lifetime experiences. I'm excited that our team will have the experience of playing in front of more than 100,000 fans against one of the premier teams in college football."

Last season, The Citadel posted a 23-22 win at South Carolina - its fourth victory over an SEC opponent since Division I split in 1978. The Bulldogs are 11-75-4 all-time against current members of the SEC.